Study: Bail Helps Pack New Jersey’s Jails

By |April 16, 2013

New Jersey's county jails are crammed with people who have the option to post bail, but can't afford to, according to a recently published study by the Drug Policy Alliance, an advocacy group, and justice system consulting firm Luminosity.

Researchers examined county corrections data from 19 New Jersey counties and found that, of the state's 15,000-person jail population, nearly 40 percent are incarcerated solely because they cannot afford bail.

About 12 percent could secure release with $2,500 or less, according to the report, and the state's average length of pretrial incarceration is more than 10 months.

The report recommends further research into solutions that might reduce backlogs in the state's court system, as well as the development of pretrial alternatives.

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